First national women’s team forming

Exciting times are ahead for women cricketers in the Cook Islands with the first ever national women’s cricket team to be selected to represent the country at the East Asia-Pacific tournament in Vanuatu in May.

The first national women’s cricket squad is expected to include players from right across the Cook Islands with interest already received from a number of players in the outer islands including Pukapuka.

Those players interested in being part of the team will not receive a phone call but instead will have to show their commitment and desire to be in the team by putting their hands up to be part of the training and fitness programmes.

The first fitness test for potential squad members will be run at 5.15pm at the BCI Stadium on March 1.

Trial cricket matches will be staged after the fitness test where East Asia-Pacific high performance coach Tom Evans observe the trials and be part of the selection panel. A squad of 20 will be initially selected for training before a final squad of 14 is confirmed to represent the Cook Islands in Vanuatu.

Currently a women’s head coach is yet to be confirmed however there is a shortlist of high calibre coaches which includes past and current White Fern players.

Once the head coach is confirmed – they will travel to Rarotonga to train the women’s squad and tour with them to Vanuatu.

Cook Islands Cricket general manager Alister Stevic says that the Cook Islands inclusion into the zone qualifiers in Vanuatu is all credit to the growth of women’s cricket in the Cook Islands.

He says that women players keen to make the historic national women’s team need to show their desire to be part of the squad and show commitment at trainings and trials.

The tournament in Vanuatu in May is the regional zone qualification for the women’s cricket World Cup and the successful teams at this tournament will go on to battle against the big guns of women’s cricket, namely New Zealand, Australia and England.

The squad will also roll out a number of fundraising initiatives to raise the funds to travel to Vanuatu but in the meantime women who want more information on this exciting opportunity can contact Alister Stevic at the Cook Islands Cricket office.